This guide was written to assist domestic well owners in learning more about a topic of the utmost importance— your drinking water. It is estimated that 13% of the US population gets their domestic water from self-supplied sources (Dieter, 2017). In Arizona, it is estimated that 330,000 residents get their domestic water from a self-supplied water source. This is primarily from thousands of domestic wells across the state that are registered with the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR). For the domestic well owner, knowledge of the vulnerability of their well, the importance of water quality monitoring, and appropriate well maintenance is necessary to assure drinking water availability and sustainable supply into the future.
As a private well owner, you are responsible for the upkeep of your well and the quality of water it produces. While a loan provider or real estate company may require a water quality test, there are no federal or state laws within Arizona that require a well owner to have their well tested. This means that while public water systems must meet certain water quality standards in order to provide safe, potable drinking water for their customers, well owners are solely responsible for testing their water, in order to protect the health of anyone who drinks it.
Gaining a better understanding about your well, its components and maintenance, geology, water quality, and water treatment will ultimately empower you, the well owner, to better maintain and monitor your well and your water supply. This guide covers these topics and more!